Garment supporting means for chairs



Dec. 10, 1940. G. B. BENTZ 2. 2,224,247

GARMENT SUPPORTING MEANS FOR CHAIRS Filed May 19, 1939 2-Sheets-Sheet 1 a Z 15 6 '10 5 GGOTHQ 15. Ben f2 WITNESS Dec. 10, 1940.

G. B. BENTZ GARMENT SUPPORTING MEANS FOR CHAIRS Filed May 19, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 660736 .B. Bani-Z Patented Dec. 10, 1940 STATES PATENT George Bernard Bentz, Bronx, Y.

Application May 19, 1939, Serial No. 274,637

Claims.

The invention aims to improve upon present day chairs by the provision of novel means extensible beyond the side edges of a chair seat to support the front portions of the occupants overcoat, topcoat or other wrap against resting upon. the floor, when he or she occupies the chair without removing the garment, merely unfastening the front and throwing it open.

With the foregoing in View, the invention resides in the novel subject matter hereinafter described and. claimed, description being accomplished by reference to the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a chair improved in accordance with the invention, the garment supports being shown in extended operative position.

Figure 2 is a bottom plan view showing the garment supports in their retracted position.

Figures 3 and 4 are views similar to Figs. 1 and 2 but showing a different form of construction.

Figure 5 is a perspective view showing a still further form of construction.

My improvements are shown in connection with a conventional chair C, at the side edge portions E of the seat S.

In Figs. 1 and 2, a horizontal rod I0 is disposed adjacent each edge E, the rear end of said rod being pivotally mounted on the chair at H to permit horizontal swinging of said rod to the extended position of Fig. 1 and the retracted position of Fig. 2. The front end of the rod is provided with a lateral rod I2 rigidly joined thereto. The rod I2 is preferably arcuate about the pivot ii and not only constitutes a garment support but serves as a track for supporting the front end of rod W, said rod I2 being slidably engaged with a support or bearing l 3 secured to the chair in such position that said rod (2 may slide 40 under the seat S when the device is not in use.

When the two devices are extended as shown in Fig. 1 and the occupant throws his overcoat, topcoat or the like open, the lower front portions of the garment will rest upon the rods 12 and be 45 supported against contact with the floor. It is preferable that side guards l4 be provided to prevent falling of the garment from the rods. When use of the devices is not heeded, they may be inwardly folded into compact relation with the 50 chair as shown in Fig. 2.

While the pivotal connection H could be of any desired form to permit the necessary swinging of the two devices, it is preferable to provide each rod Ill with a vertically elongated pin I5 55 which projects both upwardly and downwardly therefrom, suitable bearings it being secured to the chair to receive this pin. These bearings may well be bent from single strips of sheet metal, as shown. The same is true of the support or bearing i3 for the rod l2. 5

While the bearings i6 have been shown secured to the outer sides of the rear legs of the chair, they could of course be fastened to the front edges of these legs. Similarly, while the bearings i3 are shown fastened to the bottom of the 10 seat S, they could be secured to the rear edges of the front legs or across the corners between these legs and the seat, and obviously these bearings could well be constructed otherwise than shown.

In order to limit the outward swinging of the two attachments, the inner ends of the rods l2 are preferably provided with stops 1! of any desired form, said stops being positioned to abut the bearings I3 when the attachments are fully extended.

In Figs. 3 and 4, the rods Ill and l2 are rigidly joined to each other and the rear end of the former is pivotally mounted at Il A suitable supporting bearing w is provided for the rod I2 and a stop l'l has been shown on this rod to abut said bearing. Behind the rod W additional garment supporting rods l8 are provided, said rods l8 being welded or otherwise secured at their outer ends to the rod Hi providing for more effective support of the garment than when merely using two front rods such as l2 of Figs.

1 and 2.

Figs. 3 and 4 also disclose a pivotally mounted side guard I4 swingable from the operative position of Fig. 3 to the folded position of Fig.

4. In the present disclosure, the guard M is of inverted U-shape and is provided at its ends with eyes l9 which surround the rod w One end of the guard 14 is provided with an angular stop finger 20 which abuts the lower side of the rod l2 when said guard occupies operative position as seen in Fig. 3. When the guard is folded downwardly onto the rods I8, the entire device may be swung under the seat S as shown in Fig. 4, and the rod l2 obviously constitutes a supporting track for the front end of the device during its movement to folded position or back to extended position.

In Fig. 5, a garment support 2! has been shown formed from sheet metal and of substantially triangular form. The rear end of this support is provided with suitable means li to facilitate pivotally mounting it upon the chair. The front end IE is preferably arcuate and constitutes a supporting track which is cooperable with a suitable supporting bearing I3 to be secured to the chair. A suitable stop li may be provided to strike the bearing I3 for the purpose of limiting the outward movement of the device. The support 2|, like the supports above described, is provided with a forwardly facing edge devoid of upward projections, and with an outer edge having a guard projecting upwardly to a plane above said forwardly facing edge.

From the foregoing taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, it will be seen that novel and advantageous provision has been made for carrying out the object of the invention. While preferred details have been disclosed, attention is invited to the possibility of making numerous variations within the scope of the invention as claimed.

I claim:

1. In combination with a chair; two horizontally swingable garment-supporting members disposed at the side edge portions of the chair seat and projectable laterally therefrom to support both front portions of a coat when the wearer sits upon said seat with the coat thrown open, each of said garment-supporting members having a forwardly facing edge devoid of upward projections and an outer edge provided with a guard projecting upwardly to a plane above said forwardly facing edge, and means pivotally connecting the rear ends of said garment-supporting members with the chair to permit horizontal swinging of said members toand from operative position.

2. A chair attachment comprising a rod for disposition at one of the side edge portions of a chair seat, means for pivotally connecting the rear end of said rod with the chair to permit horizontal swinging of said rod toward and from the seat, a garment-supporting rod secured to and projecting from the front end of the first mentioned rod to extend under the chair seat, and a support for said garment-supporting rod attachable to the chair.

3. A structure as specified in claim 2, together with other garment-supporting rods secured toy and projecting from said first mentioned rod to extend under the chair seat.

4. A structure as specified to claim 2, said garment-supporting rod having a stop to abut said support and limit the outward swinging of the rods.

5. A chair attachment comprising a garmentsupporting member for disposition at one of the side edge portions of the chair seat, means for pivotally connecting the rear end of said member to the chair to allow horizontal swinging of said member laterally beyond the seat for use and under said seat when not in'use, and a side guard hinged to said member for upward projection therefrom when said member is extended for use.

GEORGE BERNARD BENTZ. 

